


Headway through Concessions

by TeaPlant



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale, 半妖の夜叉姫 | Hanyou no Yashahime | Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon (Anime)
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Regency, Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Arranged Marriage, Dubious Consent, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Mild Smut, Regency Romance, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:40:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27822415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeaPlant/pseuds/TeaPlant
Summary: As part of an agreement between the heads of their households, Rin Noto, the orphaned daughter of the late Baronet Noto, is given the wonderful opportunity to marry Lord Sesshomaru, the heir of the Taisho family.Becoming his bride, the 18-year-old is determined to create for herself a family where she belongs, but caught between politeness and passion, is there any place for affection?*Walmart Pride and Prejudice*
Relationships: Rin/Sesshoumaru (InuYasha)
Comments: 43
Kudos: 172





	1. Pink Dress and Gold Eyes

Rin was nervous, and her current company was doing nothing to help it.

Her uncle, Baron Ungai Komura, a tall and imposing elderly gentleman, pacing about the parlour of their townhouse, was calling out instructions for the servants to air out the room: it smelled strongly of cleaning liquids, and the odour would be no good for their esteemed guests. Dog demons were known for their keen sense of smell, and the servants were unaware of this as they cleaned the house in preparation for their arrival. For weeks, Mr Komura had stressed the importance of this visit going well, for it was the reward of a lifetime of hard work and he would certainly not allow it to go to waste. 

Mrs Fumiko Komura, a stout woman in her middle age, was sitting on the sofa, alongside her niece. She was visibly less excited than her husband by the prospect of the impending visit, constantly fretting about having demons as guests, and taking it out upon Rin’s poor hands, which have been held and patted and rubbed for the better part of 20 minutes now. Occasionally, she would let go of Rin’s hands to fiddle with her beautiful niece's dark brown hair, much too thick and rebellious to be tethered into a fashionable updo, as some locks would escape their hold.

While Rin has been courted by a few gentlemen during the two years since her debut, none of them proceeded past a few dances and polite conversations at social events, as her uncle had discouraged Rin from wasting her time with anyone beneath the title of Marquis. But those of such high rank were few and far between, and they certainly had better matches to choose from than the orphaned daughter of a Baronet, with nothing to her name except a battered manor cottage and some land by the sea. Yet Mr Komura persisted, and Rin remained without any real prospects for the past year. Yet some hope rooted in her mind when he refused a written proposal from an old friend, the only son of Baron Tajiya, that her uncle must have some other marriage plans for her.

Her suspicions were confirmed two months ago when the law that was her uncle’s pride and glory proposition passed: a change in legislation that would allow demons to trade inside the human district all through the country, something that was prohibited seven centuries ago. Once the initial shock had passed, Mr Komura revealed to Rin and her aunt that he had an agreement with one of the Beast Lords, the head of the Taisho family, that if the legislation were to pass within Mr Komura’s lifetime, then a daughter of their family could marry the youngest of his two sons. As the only unmarried female in the Komura family line at present, Rin was the only one available for such an advantageous match. As agreed, today she was to meet Lord Taisho’s second son, Inuyasha, and should all go well, there would soon be an engagement between the two of them.

“It will be alright, aunt Fumiko. Whether an engagement will go through is entirely up to the demons; there is so little we can possibly do to sway their decision.”

Fumiko’s warm brown eyes stared into a copy of their own, and upon seeing Rin’s comforting smile and sweet face, she felt slightly better for a moment, before her worry was renewed for the very character of her niece made her, in Fumiko’s eyes, a defenseless bird caught in a trap.

“It is not worry that you will not make a favourable impression that worries me, Rin. It is quite the opposite.”

Before Rin could inquire further, the bell at the front of the house rang, and both aunt and niece visibly tensed at once, the former with dread and the latter with anxiousness, and Rin tried her best not to clench her fists, as she usually did when nervous. Mr Komura, appearing unperturbed, sat down in one of the seats by the fireplace, next to his eldest son, Seikai.

Soon thereafter, the butler came into the room, introducing the two demons in white trousers and black waistcoats as Lord Toga Taisho and Lord Sesshomaru Taisho. As practiced, the entire Komura family stood at once and with great decorum, Mr Komura welcomed his guests as the gentlemen shook hands. During this time, carefully controlling her gaze from straying upon the youngest, even as she curtsied while he took off his hat and bowed his head towards the ladies as they were introduced. His long white hair was in a low ponytail, matching that of his father's. However, that is where the resemblance stopped, as where his father’s mature face sported jagged blue strikes on his cheekbones, the son’s own delicate face featured double magenta stripes, and a blue crescent moon adorned his head. This was not the hanyou second son they were expecting to visit alongside his father, but rather the first son, the full-blooded heir to the Taisho family.

Suddenly, Rin’s pink dress felt tight around her chest, and she wished she hadn’t been persuaded to wear something so revealing for teatime, but she had to make a good impression, and it was by far the most expensive dress she owned.

Once all the pleasantries were exchanged, the guests were invited to sit in the chairs around the fireplace, a silence ensued, but Mr Komura was quick to order the butler for the tea to be brought forth. Once they had settled, he and the older Taisho fell into friendly conversation, and Rin was taken aback at how casually their guest spoke to her uncle, considering their differences in rank.

“It is good to be back in the capital with such an auspicious reason, I really could not be any more grateful to you and Mr Higurashi for your achievement. It was already admirable how much of the public opinion you managed to change within the last 30 years we have known each other, but for the legislation to be passed so early - I was astonished.”

Mr Komura allowed a rare smile to grace his countenance, and bowed his head with exaggerated humility, “It was all due to the philanthropic endeavours you have undertaken in our country. The wounds of the past between our species were meticulously mended by you over the course of the past two centuries - I merely brought it to the attention of my fellow Members of the House.”

At this, Seikai saw the opportunity to establish himself in the conversation, “And the public eye - my father and I have worked much for it, and I was particularly involved with newspapers, even essays and fiction books help these matters!”

“And for this, my family and I will always be indebted to your family.” Lord Taisho said with a smile, and then turned towards the ladies, his smile wider as his sight was set upon Rin. “But enough of business, the ladies must find it very dull.”

Noticing that her aunt avoided looking at the dog demon in question, she blushed for her aunt and spoke in her stead, “Not all at, my lord, unrestricted trade between humans and demons is a great cause for celebration for us all!”

He nodded at this and his smile turned into a grin as he spoke, “I agree entirely, that is why we are in the human district. To celebrate and convey our deepest gratitude to the Komura and Higurashi families. Isn’t that so, Sesshomaru?”

At this, all eyes in the room turned to the younger Taisho, and Rin beheld him for the first time that afternoon, in all his cold, statuesque glory. Brown met a brilliant gold for a long moment, before he turned his narrowed eyes to his father and nodded to him, before looking out the window into the street, clearly wanting no part in this conversation. As such, the discussion continued amongst themselves, as Rin served the tea, and they savoured it in companionable politeness. Rin found Lord Taisho to be a charming fellow, slowly coaxing genuine smiles out of everyone in the room, and even a few giggles and some laughter from Rin. He had made several attempts over the coming half hour to include his recluse son into the conversation, but at most succeeded only in drawing out one word answers from him. 

After much praise over the achievements of the Komura sons - all 5 of them - the discussion turned to Rin, which had been her uncle’s purpose all along. Mr Komura commended her character in great detail, from her gratefulness over being taken in by her relatives after her parents’ death a decade ago, to her delightful politeness, endearing empathy, sweet temper and impeccable manners. Not used to such words from her stern uncle, Rin could not help but blush and protest in embarrassment, but even that has simply earned her additional praise from her uncle as being extremely humble and having good sense. Much to her discomfort, their principal guest eagerly agreed with Mr Komura on her good character, and her uncle felt encouraged to continue, “And her music skills are not lacking, our beloved Rin can play the piano, the harp and has a most wonderful voice.”

At this, Lord Taisho’s disposition brightened further “That is most impressive, for a girl her age”, and turned towards his son, who had been silent for some time now, “Sesshomaru has only ever learned to play the piano briefly in his childhood, some centuries ago.”

At receiving no response other than a passing glare, he turned to Rin and continued further, “Perhaps the young lady would honour us with some music, upon our next meeting.”

Rin smiled despite her embarrassment and before she could answer, her uncle interjected, “I am sure Rin would be most delighted to play now. After all, it is not every day that we have such esteemed guests, and some formalities may be loosened a bit for a dear old friend.”

Lord Taisho beamed at this and clapped his hands together, “Oh that would be wonderful!”

Rin’s quiet protests were lost on her uncle, as he immediately stood up and asked the servants to bring in Rin’s harp, and the next thing Rin knew, she was seated on a stool, with her harp in front of her, with no other choice but to play. She did play, with the focus of every person in the room on her person, and while at first it was mortifying, her music quickly captured her entire attention.

Once the music came to a still, the room was silent for a few moments, before most everyone in the room started clapping, and at this she beamed, for she loved her music, and loved even more when her music brought joy to others.

“That was a most wonderful performance, don’t you agree, Sesshomaru!”

“I have heard much better, and so have you, father. We have attended concerts with the most talented demon masters of the harp before.”

At this, Rin’s smile ceased and the mood in the room suddenly changed, but Lord Taisho immediately came to her defense, “Sesshomaru, this is a young human girl with only so many years of experience-”

“It is quite alright, Lord Taisho.” Rin had to interrupt, her pride would not allow otherwise, “I can appreciate that there are demons who had hundreds of years of practice that would be far above anything I could ever produce. I appreciate your son’s honesty.” She bowed politely in the direction of the son as she said this last part, noticing his golden eyes were scrutinising her.

Suddenly nervous, Rin moved her gaze away from the face of her critic, and after a brief courtesy, resumed her seat next to her aunt, who simply nodded at her with a tight smile. Once Lord Taisho had chastised his son and profusely apologised for his son’s indiscretion and rudeness, the conversation carried on forward to other topics, and Rin and her entire family was delighted to hear of the natural wonders of the demon realm, although once in a while, her eyes drifted to the taciturn son, and she always found her attention returned.

As the visit drew to a close, all the usual pleasantries were exchanged, with the promise for a second visit at Lord Taisho’s rented lodgings further on the outskirts of the capital. 

However, once their guests took their leave, Rin found that she could not relax just yet, as just as she relaxed on the sofa once more, Mr and Mrs Komura were already arguing with each other, as their son helped himself to some whiskey from the bar.

“You said he would come with his hanyou son. Now, I have only met them once before and it was over a year ago, and I don’t know much about demons, but that gentleman was not a hanyou.”

“I know, Fumiko. I had a suspicion this might be the case, but I did not want to raise my expectations needlessly - or give you reason to panic.”

“And pray tell, what suspicion was this?”

“When the law was passed, Lord Higurashi himself went to inform Lord Taisho of the good news, and he took his granddaughter with him. She was introduced to both sons, and from what I hear, she quickly became quite intimate friends with the hanyou son, and there was a, how shall I put it - an incompatibility of characters between her and the Taisho heir.” 

“So despite the prior agreement that she was to be introduced to the heir as a future wife, something happened, and he won’t honour that agreement.” Mrs Komura sat down exasperated on the sofa, and started fanning herself, and despite herself, Rin smiled at her aunt’s antics. “So instead of our dear Rin being introduced to the hanyou son, the granddaughter of the Higurashi family will get him instead. Do you honestly expect me to agree for my little sister’s only living child to marry a demon? As if a hanyou was not dangerous enough as it is!”

“You fret for nothing, wife. Judging from his behaviour today, it seems fair to assume that your niece failed to make an impression upon the young Lord. So just as he refused the Higurashi girl, he will refuse Rin.”

Their son stopped his ceaseless pacing around the room at this moment, glass in hand, to chastise his father, “I cannot believe you had any hope in the first place. Demon women live much longer, so they have more time to refine their manners and talents. Tall, slim, and beautiful. Not short and, well,” He trailed off as he glanced at Rin’s chest, and Rin felt her skin crawl, and her stomach bubbling with disgust and embarrassment. “Regardless, her looks are nothing when compared to the heavenly looks of most royal demonesses.” He took another big gulp of his whiskey, adding “So your hopes of making the connection of the century never stood a chance in the first place.”

Mr Komura sat down by the fire, and after some minutes of silence, he finally spoke up, “Lord Taisho’s agreement may fall through because of his son’s disposition towards humans in general, not necessarily because of Rin. If so, I am sure he will seek to make amends to you and your brothers, and this will be reflected once he starts to move his trading across the border.”

With that, all three present members of the Komura family were pacified, and Rin could finally excuse herself, not wanting to be another minute in their presence. Once in the safety of her small room in the attic, she quickly but carefully took off her dress, one of the few mementos she had left of her dear mother. Although she had behaved well, Rin knew that realistically there was little chance of her swaying the cold Sesshomaru into any sort of marriage arrangement. He seemed more than unhappy to be in the presence of humans; surely he would not be persuaded to marry her, if he even refused Kagome Higurashi, who was the daughter of a wealthy Duke, while Rin herself was only the daughter of a Baronet. 

Of course, Rin had tried her best to be polite and pleasant, as she was more than eager to marry and move away from her uncle’s home. While grateful for her privileged upbringing and her aunt’s affection, her uncle had always made her feel like she was a burden, unwelcome and unwanted - her only worth to the family being the possible connections a husband would bring. She was determined to return their invested time and money, but even so, she was yearning to leave this house, her uncle and cousins behind. Yearning to start her own family, one where she could raise children, and together with them, she would feel as loved and treasured, and as free to be herself as she was with her parents, all those years ago. 

The tea visit incident went unmentioned over the following days, and while Mr Komura had expected an invitation to tea or supper to arrive from the Taisho household, the hopes of an engagement were promptly squashed and forgotten.

That was, until at midday exactly one week after the initial visit, while Rin was arranging some fresh flowers in a vase, and Mr and Mrs Komura were reading in the parlour, the bell rang. Briefly afterwards, their butler appeared unnerved at the door of the parlour, and announced that Lord Sesshomaru Taisho was there for a visit with Miss Noto. Without any prior notice.

Panic ensued.

Mr Komura was confused and excited, Mrs Komura was horrified and immediately looked at her niece, and Rin was shell shocked and rendered speechless, her hand and flower suspended in mid-air as she struggled to comprehend what was happening. Why would the young Taisho pay her a visit? He barely addressed her before, and she certainly never extended to him an invitation for a visit.

Once Mr Komura came out of his stupor, he quickly closed his book, and stood, walking towards the door, and started speaking to Rin, who was on the other side of the room.

“I will receive the young Lord for now. Rin, you better go clean yourself up and put on a decent dress; you have mud on your skirt and your hair is-”

He never got to finish his sentence, for their guest had allowed himself further into the hallway, and was now standing right outside the open door of the parlour, posture dignified and hat in hand. 

“Mr Komura, such formalities will not be necessary. If you would permit it, I would speak to your niece in private, regarding a most important sensitive matter.”

Rin was horrified, but could not tell if it was more at his breach of protocol, or the fact that he was seeing her unkempt and improper, having just spent the better part of the morning tending to her flowers in the garden. To say she was frozen in place would be an understatement.

Of course, Sir Ungai Komura was no fool, and he could guess - hope - the subject of said sensitive matter this man wanted to speak to Rin about. His wife had also deduced the reason for the sudden visit, and had instantly moved to Rin’s side, and determined to prevent the worst from happening, she decided to intervene.

“My apologies, Lord Sesshomaru, but I see no reason why we should allow such a breach of etiquette. Whatever the matter may be, it may be addressed in our presence, or better yet, through a letter.”

The frown on the face of their uninvited guest showed that he was not pleased with this answer, clearly not what he expected, so he turned to Mr Komura, deeming him more likely to heed his request, and spoke with more urgency, “I must insist. I would not do so, if it was not a delicate topic of utmost importance, for both of our families.”

Rin could feel her hands start to tremble, and witnessed panic settle more firmly in her aunt’s face, but that only made her feel more uneasy, so she looked to her uncle instead. After holding Rin’s gaze for a few moments, Mr Komura turned to Sesshomaru and nodded once.

“How about we all take a walk in the garden, instead? Rin, why don’t you walk with Lord Sesshomaru and show him your flowers?”

Finally snapping out of her stupor, Rin lowered the flower in her hand to the table, and turned to walk slowly across the room to where her uncle stood with Sesshomaru. After her courtesy and his bow, Sesshomaru invited her to lead the way, and she quickly crossed into the adjacent dining room, opening the door to the garden. Slipping back into the shoes earlier discarded by the door, she turned and motioned him forward, and they started walking together along the path.

They walked slowly, for the garden was small. His countenance betrayed nothing, his face composed, emotionless. After some moments of tense silence, Rin decided that she could not tolerate her anxiousness to increase any further, but she tried to keep the tone of her voice as pleasant as possible as she spoke,

“Lord Sesshomaru, to what reason do I owe your visit.”

“I assume you are aware of the agreement between my father and your uncle.”

“To some degree. I was meant to be introduced to your brother, but some say that there might be news of his engagement with the young Lady Higurashi soon.”

Sesshomaru was silent for some time, and as they reached the end of the garden, he stopped walking, and turned towards her. As Rin mirrored his actions, she caught from the corner of her eye her aunt and uncle, at the front of the garden. His gold eyes were narrowed, a frown marring his face, and the intensity with which he looked down at her was unbearable.

“There is an engagement between them as of this morning.”

Rin could feel her cheeks burning.

“Miss Noto, as I am the older sibling, I am to marry first.” 

Rin could hear her heart pounding in her ears. 

“My father’s agreement included your marrying into our family.”

Rin could feel her knees shaking.

“Therefore, it would be a great honour if you would accept to be my wife.”

Her breath left her.

There was a moment of silence, and from afar, she could hear her aunt’s gasp. But Rin did not quite know what to make of this whole situation, so she remained silent. His eyes intensely sought her own, and she struggled to maintain eye contact, but under the pressure of his imposing presence, she relented. “My lord, are you quite certain about this? Considering I am the daughter of a Baronet-”

“I am well aware of your status, but my father gave his word, and I intend to keep it.” Sesshomaru took a step closer to Rin. “Do you accept?”

Her voice was barely above a whisper, captivated by the suns that were his gold eyes, “If that is your wish, then I accept.”


	2. Red Ribbon and White Plate

Following Rin’s acceptance of his marriage proposal, Sesshomaru had asked Mr Komura for her hand in marriage, which the Baron was more than happy to comply with. 

The very next morning, Mr Komura paid Lord Taisho a visit to decide on the date of the upcoming wedding, and they came to an agreement that the date was to be set 6 weeks forward. The announcement was promptly published in the newspaper. Lord Taisho feared a crowd gathering outside the church if the wedding would have been in a public temple, so a special licence was arranged for, and the wedding was to take place at the manor that was the rented lodgings of the Taisho family.

The marriage contract was drafted, giving away the little properties Rin had to Sesshomaru, and provisions were made for them to be returned to her in the case of his death, or divorce. Rin herself thought this to be quite ridiculous, considering that her annual allowance from her husband was worth just as much as her dowry. At first she was surprised but assumed this to be normal amongst demons of their rank, but her uncle told her that the future wife of the younger Taisho son had an allowance not even a quarter of her own. Rin assumed her husband must be either very generous, or a lavish spender himself. 

Rin’s suspicions intensified when she next saw her betrothed at a ball three weeks after their engagement, dressed in all the fineries money could provide, his embroidered cream silk vest and tailcoat glowing under in the dim light. As their families exchanged pleasantries, she had hoped that Sesshomaru would ask her for her first dance of the night, but the invitation never came. The rest of their companions made themselves scarce, and the couple was left by themselves for a good half-hour. Rin was not without common sense, she did not expect love from such a political match, but she was certain that they could be good lifetime companions. And as the seeds of friendship grow best when planted early, Rin was determined to attempt to get herself better acquainted with her future husband, and she tried to start the conversation with appropriately pleasant topics:

“This is such a lavishly decorated room, the paintings here are just beautiful!”

He turned slightly towards her and raised a sceptical eyebrow at her, before turning to look back towards the dance floor.

“The weather is getting so much warmer now that we are nearing summer.”

Silence.

“I love spring because all the flowers in my garden come to life,” when her answer was more silence, she insisted, “Especially after such a long winter. Is winter just as long further out west?”

“Yes.”

“I spent my childhood in the south, near the sea, so I am still not used to these cold winters!”, but when nothing came out of that topic, she decided to change it to “Oh, don’t you think the music is just excellent?”

“It is mediocre at best.”

Rin sighed internally and fought the impulse to glare at him. After a few more attempts at conversation, which her companion only occasionally chose to grace with an answer of his own, Rin realised that she could no longer carry on by herself. As such, they fell into a silence as they watched the dancing couples. Rin could feel his passing glances towards her from the corner of her eyes, but she said nothing. Eventually, when she next saw him about to look towards her once more, she turned her head towards him and gave him a big smile. He seemed taken aback for a few moments and a small gasp escaped him, but he quickly recovered,, narrowing his eyes at her, then looking away towards the dancers. 

After some time, a gentleman had come up to her and invited her to dance, and Rin looked expectantly towards Sesshomaru to see if he would claim her dance instead, but he simply turned from her and walked away. After her first dance came a second, and a third, and a fourth. All the while, Rin was trying to catch glimpses of Sesshomaru, and she would occasionally notice his gaze following her across the room, but never once approaching or holding her gaze for more than a moment. 

As the night drew to a close, Rin had only spoken to Sesshomaru again when their families bid their goodbyes to each other, and even then he had not said to her more than a “Goodnight, Miss Noto.”

That night, as she lay in her bed, Rin could not sleep because of worry over her future marriage. She felt somehow drawn to him, and genuinely wanted to know more about him, to become his friend, but so far he seemed aloof and uncooperative. What would he be like as a husband? Would she be enough as a wife? Would they make each other happy? Would they at least have a civil companionship, finding in each other a friend for life?

At that moment, Rin could not imagine it.

The next morning, as Rin had made her way downstairs, she saw a bouquet of white and yellow tulips on the table by the door. As she came closer to smell them, she noted the little envelope tucked in between the stems, and smiled as she read the message:

_To Miss Noto,_

_From Lord Sesshomaru Taisho._

Perhaps… ?

Over the course of the following weeks, Rin received a bouquet of flowers from her betrothed on every third day, the little envelope never containing an actual message for her.

Rin was kept busy with social engagements to say her goodbyes to her acquaintances in polite society. It was only polite and necessary to say her farewells ahead of time, as she was to join her husband’s house as a new bride in the demon district on the day of her marriage. So Rin took this opportunity to visit all her favourite galleries, cafes, gardens. She also paid a visit to her favourite seamstress: as a final investment in her upbringing, Mr Komura had commissioned a new dress for Rin for her wedding day; all her other dresses and personal belongings packed and ready to be sent to her new home on the morning of her wedding.

The day of the wedding arrived much earlier than Rin had expected, certainly earlier than she was emotionally prepared for. Of course, she was eager to have a family to call her own, but she was still unsure whether this particular husband would be suitable for it.

Yet despite her insecurities, on that morning of a late spring day, Rin found herself, along with the entire Komura family, in the hall of the manor that the Taisho family were temporarily using for their visit to the human district. The room itself was the epitome of grandeur, with intricately carved wood panels, and heavy curtains adorning the large windows on one side of the room overlooking the gardens. Paintings of landscapes, battles and people that Rin did not recognise adorned every bit of the walls.

In her light peach muslin dress and with the silly white flowers in her simple updo, Rin felt underdressed and out of place in such grand surroundings, and out of habit, she brought her hands close to her chest in worry. Mrs Komura was by her side, and noticing Rin’s behaviour, she brought a hand up to her niece’s shoulder, nodding reassuringly at her with a confidence that she herself did not feel.

Their party had been welcomed with much joy by Lord Touga Taisho and reluctant pleasantries by his youngest son, Inuyasha Taisho, but as Rin discreetly scanned the room, she found that her soon-to-be-husband was nowhere to be seen. Almost immediately, the gentlemen started speaking lively to each other - the five Komura sons getting particularly well along with their hosts. By the time the clergyman - a tall daikon-like white youkai in a long red robe - arrived a half-hour later, Lord Taisho was sitting on the sofa with the ladies. He was entertaining them with stories of his past, detailing with great enthusiasm his rise to power and his marriage into demon royalty. Rin was so fascinated that she barely noticed the hour passing. Their host was ever-gracious, and so involved was he in providing them with entertainment that he only took a small break to whisper something to one of his staff members, who nodded and disappeared, and the stories resumed. After another half-hour, the clergyman was getting restless, and observing this, Lord Taisho excused himself, leaving Rin and her aunt by themselves. 

Leaving Rin to stew in her last minute nerves.

Mrs Komura saw this as the last opportunity to speak to her niece in some privacy, so she hooked her arm through Rin’s and led her some distance away from the rest of their companions, until they came in front of a window overlooking grand stately gardens. Letting go of Rin’s arm in order to clasp the young woman's \as;./z\zclenched fists with her hands, Mrs Komura started urgently whispering to the bride-to-be:

“My beloved Rin, I cannot apologise enough to you over having to do this for the sake of our family. To marry a demon, even one of his status… ”

Rin’s countenanced changed, her anxiousness forgotten, her face surprised for a moment, before as she smiled at her aunt and raised a hand to Mrs Komura’s face, speaking in a hushed but comforting tone:

“Aunt Fumiko, there is no need to worry. I will be fine. This is what I want, I promise. Remember, after all, humans are often more cruel towards one another than demons.”

Rin did not get the opportunity to say anything else, as she noticed from the corner of her eye as the young Lord Sesshomaru had entered the hall, and he marched straight to the table where the clergyman was standing by, nodding at him. Lord Taisho came towards Rin and Mrs Komura and gestured them towards the table. The room went silent, and the atmosphere suddenly turned solemn. Mrs Komura went to the sofa where they were sitting earlier, and picked up the bouquet of white and purple wisteria flowers and handed it to her niece, their hands holding onto each other’s for a moment. With small but measured and careful steps, Rin slowly approached her future husband to stand by his side, the rest of their families silently gathering around them.

The marriage register, a red silk ribbon, a plain white plate and a small golden knife were laid out in typical ceremonial custom for demon weddings.

After receiving verbal permission from Lord Taisho and Sir Komura for the union to occur, the clergyman began chanting binding spells in a language Rin did not recognise, his hands lifted in the air above his head. A glow started surrounding the red ribbon, which was then used to tie Rin’s right hand to Sesshomaru’s own. Lifting the plate and knife in each of his hands, the daikon-like demon continued chanting, and then slowly set them in front of Rin, looking at her expectantly. Hands trembling, Rin picked up the knife and made an incision in the centre of her left palm, clenching her hand in a fist and holding it above the plate, red drops of blood dripping onto it. As she set the knife down, Lord Taisho came up to Rin’s side and handed her a handkerchief with an encouraging smile. Or was it one of pity?

When the clergyman cleared his throat, Rin’s attention promptly shifted and she turned towards him once more, as he resumed his chanting. Another pause, and Sesshomaru picked up the knife, making a cut into his own left hand, and holding it over the plate, their blood merging together, glowing with a dim white light around them. 

The blood united, like their lives from this point forth.

Once they had signed the wedding register, the clergyman untied their ribbon, and handed it to Mr Komura, and as per tradition, he wrapped and tied it around Rin’s waist, a symbol of her purity. Mr Komura was then presented with their marriage certificate, and the guests started clapping, somewhat hesitant at first. 

And Rin was married, just like that.

She could hardly believe that it was over so quickly.

Lord Taisho came closer with his right hand extended and a grin on his face. He was about to congratulate his son, when the latter turned away from his father, marching away towards the door of the hall, muttering under his breath, “Spare me.”

Not quite sure what to do next, Rin just continued to stand there, until her new father in law offered his arm to her,

“Shall we?”, he said with a tender smile, and she felt a little bit better as she took his arm.

They made their way outside of the manor and reached the doorway, Rin was surprised to see a great two-headed dragon, covered in green scales. She could not help but gasp and gape at the creature before her.

“W-what is that?”, she asked with more excitement and volume to her voice than was proper.

Just then, Rin noticed her new husband coming around from the other side of the great beast, tugging on the straps of a saddle as he spoke, “My dragon. Your ride home.” 

He glanced at her as he added, “We are leaving now." his stern countenance clearly communicating that there was no room for disagreement or unnecessary delays.

Rin nodded, and promptly turned towards her family. Her goodbyes with Mr Komura and her cousins were polite, if somewhat formal, but it was when she got to her aunt that her voice started shaking and tears began to gather in the eyes of both women.

“Be well, Aunt Fumiko.”

“Take care, child. Look after yourself. Write if there is anything…”

“Please, do not worry about me. I will be alright. I will write often, I promise.”

“I will try my best to help you however I can, even from all the way here. That is my promise to you.”

Rin could not help but give a bittersweet smile, and she raised her hand to touch her aunt’s face, “Simply knowing you’re well and happy will be enough.”

The ladies fell in an anguished embrace, all propriety forgotten for a few seconds, as tears streamed down their faces.

“Goodbye, Aunt Fumiko.”

“Farewell, Rin.”

Lord Taisho came up behind Rin and put an encouraging hand on her shoulder. Rin let go of her aunt, and with one last nod and goodbye to the kind lord that was now her father-in-law, walked to stand by her husband. Sesshomaru watched her with an inquisitive look on his face for a moment, and just as Rin started to become uncomfortable under his scrutiny, he quickly turned around and gestured towards the dragon, holding his hand out at her level,

“Get in the saddle.”

Rin took the outstretched hand as she lifted herself up onto the dragon. For the first time, she felt the firmness of the hand that belonged to her new husband.

As Rin got settled, Sesshomaru went to her family and bowed to them,

“I will ensure she has everything she requires. Good day.” He nodded at his father, turning towards Rin and the dragon, stopping in front of them.

Sesshomaru reached for one of the heads of the dragons, patting it once, then turning away. With one quick bending motion of his legs, he took off into the sky, flying away. Rin was so much in awe at this that she was left gasping, staring at his back even as the dragon lifted off and started following her husband in flight. So caught up was she with the sight of the beautiful demon flying in the air, that she had even forgotten to wave goodbye to her family.

And so, they flew westwards together.

The manor quickly grew small as they ascended. The wind blew away Rin’s hair, undoing some of her carefully pinned flowers, her locks of hair flying about with no consequence, and Rin grasped the reigns of the dragon and her bouquet a bit tighter. 

The sprawling countryside was breath-taking, hills upon hills passing by, humans no longer discernible as they became mere specs of black, forests looking like nothing more than broccoli on a platter. Rin’s heart was hammering in her chest, and her grin would not leave her face, laughter spilling forth unrestricted.

They ascended higher and higher, passing through the clouds, and Rin let go of the reins for a moment, and reached it out with her left hand, hoping to catch a bit of a cloud in her hand. As they flew above the clouds, Rin marvelled at the way in which they looked like rolling fields of snow, never-ending, the late spring sun warming her face. 

Rin did not remember ever feeling this happy before. 

The dragon was just as excited, as one head or another would occasionally look back at Rin, snorting happily. This prompted her to reach out her hand, and each of the heads took turns to come closer, allowing Rin to ruffle the little tuft of hair on top of one of its heads. She glanced at her husband, and she found Sesshomaru flying near her right side, briefly glancing towards her grinning face, before he returned his focus on the landscape ahead. 

They flew for hours, and Rin’s legs ached with the strain of holding onto the dragon. As the sun started to lower in the sky, they came across gigantic ogre demons hovering in the sky, but said demons did not move or even acknowledged their approach. Just as they passed the sentries, Rin felt a slight tug at her skin, almost as if an invisible barrier was trying to hold her back, giving her butterflies in her stomach as the dragon underneath her wobbled slightly in their flight.

It wasn’t too long afterwards that they started descending rapidly, passing through the clouds and emerging on top of a large forest. The ride became more jittery and Rin bent her back so her top half was lying almost entirely on the dragon. As the descent slowed down, Rin could see a clearing surface in the middle of the forest, and they were heading straight for it, the grounds of a sprawling manor quickly drawing closer. 

Rin briefly marvelled at the large gardens surrounding the manor, before the dragon flew around and came to hover in front of it, landing with a thud, jerking her body. A few moments passed before she came out of her stupor and straightened her back, pushing some of the fallen locks of hair away from her face. 

The entire experience felt unreal, unlike anything else she had done in her entire life. 

She looked about her just in time to notice her husband standing by the side of her dragon, with his arm outstretched towards her. Eagerly taking it, Rin unmounted the dragon, still holding onto Sesshomaru’s hand. His brilliantly golden eyes held her gaze captive for a few moments, before turning slightly to look towards the entrance to the manor, where a line of servants was waiting for them - which she had somehow failed to notice until that very moment. Rin did not had any time to gather her thoughts, as her husband declared to them in an authoritative manner,

“You have before you the new Lady Rin Taisho. You will treat her with all the respect owed to one of her station.”

With that, Sesshomaru gently let go of Rin’s hand, and promptly striding into the manor, leaving Rin behind to face the demon servants looking at her apprehensively.

Rin was home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I planned to fit a bit more content into this chapter, but I always get carried away with my writing!
> 
> I hope you enjoy this new chapter, second one already being written!


	3. Dining Table and Brocade Curtains

The manor was not what Rin expected as her new home - she expected a palace.

She recalled her uncle speaking about Lord Taisho’s palace at length, of its grandeur and seemingly endless number of rooms, halls, chambers, and a dining hall large enough to host a banquet for over 200 guests. Yet as Rin was seated by herself at the dining room in her new home, she could not help but note how the dining table was large enough to accommodate exactly 20 guests. Not only that, but considering the coldness and thinly veiled disdain with which the servants treated her, Rin was rather sure that she was the only human that the demons in the employment of her husband have seen for a long time. This did not quite add up, as she remembered Lord Taisho mentioning earlier that day that his human mate employed various human servants, yet she had not seen any sign of humans since her arrival.

It was odd.

The housekeeper Sara, who previously escorted Rin to the dining room had returned just as Rin had finished her dinner. Sara was a beautiful tall woman with long black hair and brown eyes. If any one of the staff members was a human, Rin assumed it would be her. After taking the housekeeper for her meal, Rin decided to start her inquiry into the matter as such:

“Miss Sara, am I the only human in this house?”

“Yes, my lady.”

“That is quite strange. I was under the impression that my father-in-law has a human wife. Does she not live here?”

Sara responded in an unnecessarily matter-of-fact voice, “No, my lady. She lives at the Taisho family palace, near the western capital.”

“Ah, so this is not the main residence of the Taisho family?”

“No, it is not. This estate belongs solely to Lord Sesshomaru.” replied Sara indignantly. 

This was news to Rin, she had expected to live with the entire family. “I see. So all the servants here are demons then?”

Pudding her chest, the demoness raised her voice a bit higher, declaring, “Yes. There are six of us. Myself, as the headkeeper, a steward, a maid, a cook, a footman and a gardener. The maid will assist you with anything you may need day to day. If there is anything in particular you require, you are to ask it of me.

The maid will go to your room in the morning to help you dress. Your lady’s bathroom is fitted with all the necessary utilities to ensure you will not need her assistance washing up. Human food will be prepared for you in the morning and in the evening. We will also arrange for tea and snacks to be delivered to you at mid-day.”

As Rin listened to the headkeeper continue her monologue, she could not help but remember with limited fondness her old teacher at the finishing school before her debut. Rin was not the best of students, certainly not the most obedient.

Early sleep suddenly seemed like a wonderful idea.

“Tomorrow morning, the maid will show your ladyship the house. I have arranged for the gardener to give you a tour of the grounds, after which-”

“Miss Sara, do you happen to know when my trousseau will arrive? Two demons came this morning to bring it to my new home.”

Sara briefly glared at her lady for the interruption, but quickly settled back into a more neutral expression, and answered, “It arrived earlier today. The chests were left in your chamber, my lady.”

Rin smiled and stood from her seat, taking a few steps towards the headkeeper, “In that case, I would like to retire for the night.”

The demoness nodded, and instructed Rin to remain there, bidding her a stiff goodnight as she left the dining room. Some minutes after, a short, middle aged woman with a green complexion and large bulging eyes entered the room, and Rin was temporarily taken aback at the size of her ample bosom, emphasised by her low-cut gown, which coming from Rin herself, was not an exaggeration.

The old maid introduced herself and she bowed, “My lady, I am Jakena. I am to be your maid and assist you whenever you may need my service.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Jakena.” Rin put on her kindest smile, hands folded in her lap, “I did not have a maid dedicated to me before, so I can assure you that I will need the minimum amount of care and service from you.”

The maid looked both relieved and offended at the same time, and she folded her hands in front of her, glaring at the young human before her.

“That would be the best! After all, I still have all my other duties, and to have this piled on top is a lot of work! We should have gotten a new maid, but the young lord dislikes having too many members of staff around! In fact, I have served his lordship for centuries, so he wouldn’t allow a little human to just come in and get rid of me!”

At this, Rin smirked, and could not help herself from chiming in, “Should you be referring to me as a little human, considering you’re even shorter than me?”

Flustered, Jakena was shocked into silence, and her green complexion seemed to lose a shade or two of green, causing RIn to grin. 

Without any further ado, Rin asked the elderly maid to lead her to her chamber, Jakena walking ahead and Rin following close behind through the corridor and up the stairs, waiting behind Jakena as the maid opened a large double door. The room was surprisingly large, at least three times the size of her room at the Komura family house. A large canopy bed was placed in the middle of the room, across from an ornate fireplace, and towards the end of the room, a dressing table stood near large windows framed by heavy brocade curtains, which Jakena promptly drew closed.

After unpacking solely her nightwear, Jakena had shown her how to use the washroom in an adjacent chamber, and promptly departed, leaving Rin to undo her hair and clean herself.

Once finished, Rin ran her hands through her loose hair, walking about the room, looking at the details of the decorations, trying to entertain herself. As sleep slowly came to her, Rin made her way to her bed. Once she was comfortable amongst the pillows and the heavy blanket, she looked up to the canopy.

The house was much more to her liking than a palace would have been; she had been quite worried about being able to fit in with the upper levels of royalty. At least like this, she would have plenty of privacy, much more so than she did at the Komura house, with the added benefit of beautiful gardens sprawling over the surrounding lands. The staff would take some getting used to, and she would need to be careful with Sara’s dictatorial style, and she already found Jakena very entertaining. Her husband was nowhere to be found, and he seemed to be rather content to leave her to her own devices. Of course, there would be no friends here, but she hoped her husband would at least become her friend, so that will need working on. 

Slowly relaxing, her body was beginning to drift into sleep when she heard two loud knocks on the door to her chamber. Sitting up in her bed, she called out to enter, expecting Jakena to check if she got settled in for the night.

Instead, Rin found herself beholding her lord husband, in a white nightshirt and an open red robe, his hair falling loose around him. He closed the door behind him. 

Oh.

Rin had forgotten about this. How could she forget about this - after the embarrassing discussion with her aunt last night? She had been so horrified that she could barely sleep after it, and she was still worrying about it this morning, yet the topic somehow managed to escape her for the rest of the day. Unconsciously, she swallowed the saliva gathering in her mouth, a blush already creeping onto her face.

Sesshomaru did not notice the sequence of emotions displayed onto his wife’s face, as he was looking at the two chests of her belongings sitting in the middle of the room. Slowly, he lifted his gaze to Rin’s face, his deep voice speaking in a calm and collected manner,

“I trust you have everything you require?”

“Y-yes, my lord.”

He nodded. 

Silence hung heavy between them.

“Do you know why I am here?”

Rin hesitated to answer. It was their wedding night after all, and her aunt warned her that this would take place. She saw no reason to play games, and answered truthfully.

“You’re here because it’s our wedding night and... “ she briefly broke eye contact with him, not able to look at his face as she continued, “and you expect me to perform my duty as a wife.”

“Do you agree to it?

“I have, when I consented to marry you today.”

Sesshomaru slowly closed his eyes, letting a small sigh escape his lips, and he tried again, “Do you wish for us to create a child?” and he opened his eyes again, looking intensely at his wife, “Tonight?”

She did. Rin wanted a child, a family, a home - a true home, not just a house. Determined to do whatever was necessary for it, with a renewed vigour, Rin looked back at her husband and murmured, “Yes, please.”

Upon hearing this, her husband’s stature relaxed a bit, and he nodded, walking towards the bed. Suddenly self conscious, Rin lifted her bedsheets higher, to cover her chest and shoulders. Seeing her tense, Sesshomaru paused, narrowing his eyes upon her, “You’re afraid.”

“I ought to be.”

“Why?”

Rin responded in a whisper, “You will hurt me, wound me, cause me to bleed.”

At her words, a scowl marred his face, demanding clarification, “What were you told of your wifely duties on our wedding night?”

She had to look upon her bed covers as she relayed her aunt’s vague words to him,

“I was told that I am to give myself to you. That you will take my body, and I am not to protest at anything you may do, as it is the duty of every wife to give herself to her husband in this manner. That it is necessary to produce a child… And it will hurt me and I will bleed, but I am not to push you away.” She peered at him from the corner of her eye, wondering aloud, “Did I misunderstand?”

Sesshomaru slowly drew closer as she spoke, and before she noticed it, he was standing next to her bed.

“It should not be as awful as you imagine it to be.“

“So it will not hurt or make me bleed?”

He spoke again after a brief silence, “Do you ride horses?”

Surprised with the change in topics, Rin could not keep a smile from rising to her face, “I do. I always have, ever since I was 5 years old. My father taught me how to ride, and our family would go for rides at least every few days.”

Sesshomaru nodded at this, “Then you will probably not bleed, and it will not hurt you as much. What else do you know?”

“What do you mean?”

“Tell me what you expect me to do tonight.”

Rin hesitated more than before, but she closed her eyes, not able to look at him as she said the most embarrassing part for her, “My aunt said you will part my legs and sit between them, and...” She could not bring herself to say anything more, and she felt her cheeks and her ears grow hot.

The bed dipped and creaked, and Rin realised that Sesshomaru was somewhere to her right, yet she could not bring herself to look at his face after her admission.

She heard his voice next, a whisper against her ear, “Will you allow me to do those things to you?”

Her lips were dry.

Her face was burning.

Her heart was pounding.

Rin did not trust herself to speak, so she resorted to nodding.

She saw him slowly remove his robe from the corner of her eye, and something akin to a smile could be heard in his voice as instructed her, “Lie down.” 

With another nod, Rin settled amongst the pillows, closing her eyes out of sheer embarrassment. She felt him shift on the bed, and tensed as he removed the covers shielding her body. His hands lightly brushed against the sides of her thighs as he began to slowly lift her nightgown. As the fabric neared the top of her thighs, there was an impulse to stop him, to stop the fabric from going any further, but she clenched her hands at her sides and held still, even as the fabric came to rest at her waist. After a few moments, Sesshomaru grasped her knees and gently pried them apart. The feeling of the soft texture of his hands against her skin made Rin gasp and open her eyes. 

When Rin looked downwards, she wished she hadn’t. Her husband had settled low on the bed, with his head resting between her knees. Sesshomaru was staring - no, glaring - between her legs. Involuntarily, a small whimper left her as she felt her face flush further, but he only briefly glanced at her face, before returning his attention to her most intimate area. Rin shut her eyes tightly once more, convinced she would die of embarrassment. Nothing happened for what felt like an eternity, although at some point she could feel his warm breath between her legs, prompting her legs to start trembling in his hold.

Her legs were parted wider still, and Rin could feel his weight settling on top of her, his waist between her legs. She felt fingers searching her, opening her, holding her open. A light pressure was insisting against the flesh of her private area, then receded, then pressed again, before withdrawing altogether. Rin tried to remain still as she waited for Sesshomaru to continue, silently attempting to convince her breath to even out, her heart to stop leaping in her chest. 

“Touch me.”

She opened her eyes and saw Sesshomaru hovering above her, his hair forming a curtain around them. One forearm was next to her body, supporting him, and his other hand was hidden under his nightshirt, moving in a repetitive motion. She had no idea what he meant by touching him, but his hand emerged from under his nightshirt, lifting one of her clenched fists, placing it against his shoulder. Out of reflex, Rin opened her hand to hold onto him. His golden eyes were staring down at her with such intensity that Rin could not maintain eye contact any longer, so she looked away once more, her vision filled with long silver locks of hair. His face lowered so it was even closer to her, and Rin could feel his breath against her neck. 

His hand returned between her legs, searching, caressing, and rubbing until a wetness materialised, his touches leaving her panting. Rin felt something slide inside her - a finger, she realised - slowly stroking inwards and outwards for a good minute, then two fingers. It was an uncomfortable, alien sensation. When Rin felt three, she whimpered, and they immediately retracted.

Sesshomaru grasped her legs, lifting her thighs to rest on his waist as his weight settled more closely against her, their chests pressed together. Like this, Rin could feel his heartbeat, and she was surprised that it beat even faster than her own. Not a moment later, Rin felt the pressure return against her entrance, and when it pressed more insistently, it slipped inside.

It burned. 

Rin hissed. 

It slowly went deeper still. After some moments, it retreated, before slowly filling her again without ever leaving her. These motions continued for some time, slowly picking up in pace. Rin could feel tears escaping her eyes and flowing down her flushed face, panting and whimpering with each movement of her husband’s hips against her own. With each heavy push, the breath on her neck quickened. She felt his lips brushing back and forth against her skin, before his cheek laid against her shoulder. His lips and ragged breath become a permanent fixture against her collarbone. Suddenly, his body tensed, and Sesshomaru's hands tightly gripped her waist, ceasing all movement with a gasp, then shuddering for a few moments.

They remained like that for a while as their breathing slowed, Sesshomaru holding still above her, as her gaze slowly shifting to watch the side of his silver hair as his head rested against her own. Eventually, Rin felt him pull away from within her flesh, causing her to wince, and he slowly lifted himself off of her.

She could only see Sesshomaru’s back as he left the bed and retrieved his discarded robe, putting it on slowly. Once he was done, he glanced back at her and his eyes widened, before he quickly tore his gaze away. As he walked towards the door, he muttered a “Goodnight.” and promptly exited her chamber.

Finally alone, Rin resumed staring at the canopy above her bed, just like she did not half-hour ago. She wiped away the drying tears on her face. The warm liquid between her legs growing colder and steadily dripping down towards her behind. She closed her legs in an attempt to stop it, winching at the discomfort. Taking her time in lowering her legs against the bed, she pulled the bedsheets closer, covering herself with them.

As fatigue and strain lulled her to sleep, Rin hoped that this ordeal would provide her with a child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope that wasn't too uncomfortable for anyone! On the bright side, at least we got it out of the way, and now we can focus on the upcoming romance!
> 
> Just for reference, I imagine Sesshomaru's manor as similar to the front part of Adare Manor (without all the extensions at the back), including the front gardens and river on the side, but with the addition of large gardens in the back.


	4. White Roses and Bloody Shirt

Roses had never been part of Rin’s garden - they were too fussy of a plant for her to grow - so she felt beyond blessed to be able to stroll every day through the sprawling rose garden outside her new home and pick her choice of blooms to decorate the various chambers. As expected at the onset of summer, the days were warm but not unpleasantly hot, and the early morning sun on her face made the young woman briefly forget her loneliness. 

The Komura townhouse was centrally placed in the bustling capital city of the human district, and there were always plenty of people, sights and activities to see or do. If not socially engaged, they had the large city library effectively on their doorstep, of which Rin was a frequent visitor since her formal education had finished at age 14. Yet here, on the estate of her lord husband, Rin had very limited opportunities for socialising. 

She had no friends, and the servants mostly left her on her own. Just as per her initial appraisal of her character, the headkeeper Sara was a severe woman who somehow managed to act as if she were both subservient to Rin, yet with an air of condescension. Jakena was much more forthcoming with her honesty towards Rin, yet she often complained about this or that task that she had to take care of. Repeatedly, the maid had made it very clear that the young human’s care was an additional duty that she was not happy with being entrusted upon her. These complaints were a great opening for Rin to make some comments about informing her lord husband about his poor judgement of Jakena’s capabilities, upon which the old demoness would quickly backtrack on her words, the sheer panic giving Rin a much needed source of entertainment.

In truth, it was not often that Rin had a chance to catch a glimpse of her husband. The house was large enough that they did not often cross paths, and the fact that his room was the very last one at the end of the corridor opposite hers did nothing to help. Add to that the fact that she had never seen Sesshomaru take any meals, Rin was also robbed of her opportunity to have dinners with her new husband.

There were strictly three recurring scenarios in which Rin had seen Lord Sesshomaru in the three weeks since she arrived at her new home.

The most reliable one was that every morning while picking roses or having a stroll, Rin would be able to see him standing at the windows of his library, overlooking the garden. He would hold her gaze for a few seconds, then quickly return back to the darkness of the library.

The second was during evenings before dinner, when Rin would be in the music room. Actually a ballroom, it housed a grand piano that she had seen on the first day at the manor, when Jakena had given her the tour of the house. Starting that very evening following her arrival, Rin had begun practicing songs to entertain herself. Three days later, she had been pleasantly surprised to find that her own harp had been brought in - at the express order of the lord himself - so now Rin was alternating every night between playing her harp or the piano, occasionally singing along with the music. Every second or third day, if Rin were to turn around while playing, she would see her husband stand in the doorway to the hall, or even on a chair on the other side of the room, usually with some papers in his hand, paying her no mind. Sesshomaru had not yet spoken to her on these occasions, and the two times that she had tried to start conversations, he simply stared at her. Ever adept at understanding people, Rin had stopped trying to get him to talk, and simply continued with her music, sometimes showing him a cheeky grin.

The third way was the most unpredictable one of them, despite the predictability of the act itself. Every third, fourth or fifth night - Rin was still trying to determine a pattern here - her husband would visit her bedchamber, and ask if he could join her in bed. She would accept as was expected of her, and they would perform the marital act in her bed, upon which Sesshomaru would bid her goodnight and leave her room. While this was the easiest way in which she could talk to him, Rin had yet to attempt to breach the silence between them. 

Well, she did a few times, actually. 

Once, Sesshomaru had placed his elbow on her hair, trapping it underneath it and pulling on it, making Rin whimper and voice an indignant “My hair!”. He promptly apologised and removed his arm, allowing her to move it to the side, before continuing with his actions.

Another time, instead of the usual brush of his lips, Rin felt his fangs against her neck, prickling her. This caused a gasp and an involuntary “Hey!” leave Rin’s lips, upon which he quickly retracted his fangs from her skin and apologised before resuming his thrusts.

On his latest visit, Sesshomaru had gotten a bit… carried away with the motions and speed of his hips, to the point it became almost as painful as the first time. Rin hissed at a particularly forceful thrust, and she couldn’t hold herself back from voicing a “Please, slower!” and after an apology, the usual gentler movements returned, at an even slower pace than Rin had come to expect from her husband. 

The nocturnal visits had not been as painful as the first, indeed there was a clear discomfort associated with them, but Rin felt more unsettled by his presence than the act itself.

It was not that Rin hated his presence.  In fact, she had noticed that she was actively seeking it during daytime, hoping to catch a glimpse of his handsome face through a window, in a hallway, or in the entryway. But having Sesshomaru pressed tightly against her body at night, after all the distance between them during the day, it was something that she still had to comprehend, and the questions would plague her even as he lied on top of her. Were they bridging the distance between them?

They had gotten closer physically; her shyness no longer prevented her from looking at his face during their night-time activities, and she held onto his shoulders with confidence without being told to. Yet Rin was still flushing and closing her eyes whenever his fingers were caressing her womanhood, bringing about her wetness, always leaving her wanting more, but not courageous enough to ask for it. Much to her embarrassment, the last time he visited, Rin had lost control of herself in the heat of the moment and she had come to realise her hips were rocking along with his fingers, desperately bringing them deeper inside her. When Sesshomaru noticed her sudden panic at realising her own actions, he removed his fingers, and came to lie upon her, more eager than usual.

Recalling this last incident brought Rin out of her reverie, and realising her own stream of thoughts, her face flushed intensely. Looking around her in the garden, almost as if checking if someone had witnessed her thoughts, she was horrified to see the subject of her frustrations looking at her through his library window. For the first time, she broke eye contact first, and collected the roses she had snipped, standing up, then facing away from the house.

That was when Rin noticed the harpy that delivered the newspaper approach in the sky, signalling the time for her breakfast. Heading indoors and stopping in the entryway by a table with an empty vase, Rin started arranging the stems in a pleasing bouquet. The front door opened, revealing Jakena holding a container with the newspaper. As the demoness made her way across the hallway to the library, she glared towards Rin as she squawked,

“Young woman, your breakfast is already set on the table, go eat.”

Rin giggled and tipped her head in amusement, “I will in a minute, grandma. Let me do this first.”

Jakena shook her head disapprovingly knocked on the door to the library, then entered, disappearing form view for a few moments, before reappearing and heading straight to Rin, chastising her,

“You waste your time with those flowers. They will last longer if you leave them to their own. They will die within days like this, instead of living for months in the garden!”

Rin could not help herself, and with a serene smile, addressed the buxom maid, “Ah, Miss Jakena, I was wrong about you. I did not take you to be an ardent defendant of flora.”

Jakena’s mouth gaped, but before she could reply, the door to the library hastily opened and Sesshomaru marched across the hallway, a deep scowl on his face. Rin was dumbfounded, she had seen him through the window not five minutes prior and he seemed agreeable enough to her, or rather as much as agreeable as one can be when their face is a mask of detached passiveness. She was curious, so she kept her voice polite and pleasant as she asked her husband,

“My lord, is everything alright?”

He barely glanced her way, saying “Rin, stay inside the house, do not leave until I return,” before turning towards Jakena and commanding, “Jakena, get the dragon in the front garden and have them remain there.”

Jakena puffed her chest, a ridiculous sight considering her pectoral endowments, “Yes, Lord Sesshomaru!”

And just like that, the lord of the house was out the door.

Rin was speechless.

What could have happened? 

Before she knew it, she heard a loud shriek from Jakena, and when she looked around, realised that the maid was gone, when she heard,

“Why would he?!”

Following the voice, Rin came to stand at the door of Sesshomaru’s library, looking on as Jakena stood by a desk, gaping over a newspaper in her green hands. Ever curious, Rin approached the maid from behind, looking over her shoulder at the newspaper. On the front page, big, bold capital letters wrote “House of the West Marries Human Brides” and under it, a subtitle “Lord of the West Announces Marriages of Both Sons to Human Women from the Human District”. 

Was this what had upset Sesshomaru so?

Rin could not help mulling over it as she picked at her breakfast. 

The article detailed how she and Sesshomaru had gotten married and came to live at his property just over 3 weeks ago, and how Lord Inuyasha had married Lady Kagome the day prior, and moving in at the Taisho Palace. It criticised in no uncertain terms how such a move was an affront to demonkind, as one of the two Houses would now be forever tainted with human blood, if the grooms decided to mark the human wives. 

Rin stood up at this, her breakfast forgotten.

As she came to the drawing room, Rin became aware that she was indeed a wife to Sesshomaru. She recalled her brief education on demons, and all the books she had read on demonkind, and the realisation sunk in that indeed demons used the terms of mates. She recalled Lord Taisho talking about his human mate, and his demon wife. He had married Sesshomaru’s mother as part of a political arrangement, but once an heir was sired, their involvement was limited to matters concerning said child. By contrast, the one he lived with, the one he spoke fondly of, the one he shared his life with, that was Lady Izayoi. His mate.

Rin was not a mate.

Rin was a wife.

And even that seemed to be an unpopular choice, but that was to be expected. After all, one could not imagine human princes marrying demonesses, that was unheard of. When Touga had chosen Izayoi as his mate, the history books described in great detail how he was forced to quell a brewing civil war, and he only managed to avoid it because he already had Sesshomaru as a full-blooded heir. As Touga would live for quite some time still, Sesshomaru would not have to rule for a long time, but once he did, he would co-rule the demon district alongside The Lord of the East. 

Would Rin’s own children be allowed to succeed their father? They were neither the children of a mate nor the children of a demon, how would it work? It was virgin territory in politics, and Rin could not help but worry over the future.

It was during this time that Sara had come in, and set up the usual tea by the window. The warm liquid was soothing, and its familiar taste was doing wonders to calm Rin’s nerves as she sat overseeing the garden. Sara’s kindness was touching, and Rin felt a nagging guilt in her stomach, certain that she had misjudged the demoness.

Not an hour following Sesshomaru’s departure, a great light could be seen through the window of the drawing room, almost outshining the sun, approaching from the sky at a great speed. Curious, Rin stood up and watched as the approaching sphere of light crashed into the grass in front of the house with an explosion of lightning, forcing her to shield her eyes. 

In the aftermath of the explosion stood her husband, in all his handsome glory. His white shirt and trousers painted more red than white with his blood.

Rin could feel her heart hammering in her chest, thundering in her ears. Bolting out of the room and heading for the front door, she opened it, ready to dash to Sesshomaru, but she was surprised to find him already in front of her, glaring down at her, his words coming out slower than they usually did,

“I told you not to leave the house. Are you so eager to disobey me?”

Ignoring his words, Rin grasped at his bloody shirt, gasping and widening her eyes when she noticed that his left sleeve was empty. She nearly shouted in a trembling voice, “My lord, what happened to you?”

Sesshomaru swayed a bit, gently using his right hand to make her stand away from blocking the door, passing by Rin and heading towards the stairs, slowly making his way up. Servants quickly gathered in the entryway, and Rin gave instructions for bowls of hot water, towels and anaesthetic cream to be brought to his chamber immediately. Sara looked about to disagree, but Rin simply repeated her order in a slightly louder voice, leaving no room for dissent, as she followed her husband up the stairs, just in time to grasp onto his arm, and help him turn the corner towards the way to his chambers.

Once inside, she assisted him to sit on his bed and was about to take off his boots when his right hand touched her forearm, ceasing her actions, reprimanding in a quiet voice,

“I do not require your assistance. Leave me.”

“My lord, I am afraid my assistance is not optional, and I think that right now you will find me to be quite tiresome to argue with. Please.”

Sesshomaru contemplated her words for a short while, then nodded at her once, allowing her to continue to remove his shoes and socks, then his cravat and finally his shirt. While Rin was removing his shirt, she came to realise she had not yet seen his bare chest, and flushed as she continued with her task, telling herself that this was not the right moment for her shyness to emerge. Sesshomaru took this opportunity in her pause to move further into the bed, allowing his head to fall amongst the pillows.

He vaguely noted that Jakena had come into his chambers to bring in the items Rin had requested, and while he did not have enough energy to look upon the maid, he did have enough of it to protect his pride, “Jakena, leave. None of the servants are to come in, for any reason.”, before a fog overcame him.

During his brief moments of clarity, Sesshomaru saw Rin above him, wiping away at the blood on his skin, applying medicine to his wounds, tears falling from her eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the encouraging reviews, I am glad Jakena had such a positive reception!  
> I realised that I have 2 major plot points and 3 sub-plots going on, and 6 chapters left... I might cut out some of them and keep my current chapter target, or I might extend this at the expense of my other fanfic. Still debating, let me know your thoughts.


	5. Stained Trousers and Fresh Fruit

The weather had been treacherous, and by evening, a light but prolonged rain started falling upon the hills and forests surrounding the state.

To ensure Sesshomaru’s comfort while resting, Rin had drawn the heavy brocade curtains to prevent the light from coming through, and the pitter-patter of rain was echoing in the vast, mostly empty space of his bedchamber. Rin briefly considered starting the fireplace, but upon further consideration, decided it would be a waste to do so at the beginning of summer.

Sesshomaru was very poorly, and he remained in a state of deep sleep for quite some time after he initially lost consciousness. He had woken up a few times, was very feverish and had difficulty breathing, seemingly mostly unaware of himself. Rin had tried her best to soothe him, cleaning his wounds of dried blood, wiping at his forehead with cold water, and reapplying the anaesthetic cream.

When she had tried to apply the cream to his slowly healing arm stub, Sesshomaru had snapped awake for a brief second, hissing at her with red eyes and jagged markings on his cheeks. After a moment’s shock, Rin simply slapped a cold compress to his forehead, forced him to drink some water, and then continued to tend to his wound, undeterred. He returned to sleep almost immediately after. As the night drew closer, Rin retreated briefly to her own room to wash her face and change into something more comfortable, putting on a nightgown and a robe. Returning to his chamber, she carefully slid on the bed next to him, on top of the covers, and wiped his forehead once more. She tended to him through the night, eventually falling asleep.

It was sometime the next morning - the sunshine was coming through the edges of the curtain - that Rin had awoken, not realising when she had fallen asleep. 

Turning to look towards her husband, Rin was greeted by the face of her husband frowning deeply at her,

“You slept here.”

It was an accusation, and Rin slowly sat up in bed, looking away to straighten her robe and her hair, murmuring, “I fell asleep as I was tending to you.”

“Unnecessary.”

“Your arm was cut off.”

“Demons are not frail like humans. It will heal by itself.”

The implication was not lost on her, and Rin could not help but be disheartened at the slight jab, her eyes slowly darting to his face, finding an impassive mask of cold arrogance. She tried again,

“Perhaps. But you were clearly unwell, so feverish and in need of care. I could not leave you in that state.”

“Mind your own business. Leave.”

Rin hesitated for a second then turned to face him, on the verge of disagreement, but upon seeing his sour expression, thought better of it and simply nodded, gathering the pot of water and dirty towels, taking her leave. 

Upon her return that evening, bringing food, more cream and fresh water, Rin found that the curtains were still drawn and her husband laid in the same position she left him, in the same bloody trousers. Sesshomaru seemed to have stayed in the same position during the entire time, and Rin briefly wondered whether he could even move." Stepping closer, she noticed that he was very much asleep, so she felt at ease to take the liberty to set everything down and resume tending to him. Rin was in the process of wiping his forehead, when his eyes snapped open, and his large hand caught her wrist.

“Why are you back?”

“You need to be looked after.”

“You are inconveniencing yourself uselessly.”

Refusing to acknowledge his slight, Rin pulled her hand away, and Sesshomaru unclasped his clawed fingers to allow her to do so. Instead, she set down the towel, and brought the plate of food that she had set aside earlier, and brought it next to the bed.

“You have not eaten at least since yesterday. I thought fish and some mu-”

“Do not bother. I do not eat human food.”

“What do you eat then?”

“Nothing you should concern yourself with.” She glared at him now, unable to contain her frustration.

“You are my husband. I am meant to concern myself with you.”

He closed his eyes, muttering, “You have no such duty towards me.”

“I believed it was common knowledge that all wives have the duty to care for one’s husband. Pray tell, what exactly are my duties towards you?”

“There is no such thing in this marriage. You may do as you please.”

“That is not the impression I have when you visit me at night.”

At this, Sesshomaru’s eyes snapped open, and he turned his head to Rin, giving her his full attention for the first time since that morning. His eyes narrowed, the scowl on his face making her feel like a trapped animal, and he harshly whispered, “I asked. I always ask. You may refuse me - that is the whole point of asking.”

She hesitated, looking away, “I know. I know, but it is my duty towards you, towards our families. To bear your passion, carry your children.”

“I can assure you that there is no duty to speak of, if you are not willing. Not even to bear my children.”

“I need to, if I want children of my own, a family of my own... Although I can imagine you need a child for a different reason.“

At that, Sesshomaru did not inquire further, and Rin allowed the silence to surround them. She lifted her supplies and went to her bedchamber, preparing to settle in for the night.

As Rin laid in her bed, a new fire roared inside of her. She had been genuinely worried for him, for his life, she had spilled tears for him, and he would chase her away. 

Not if she could help it. 

With a newfound determination, Rin rose from the bed, putting on her robe once again, and strode all the way to the rooms of her husband, entering without knocking. She ignored his glare and his questioning of her presence, and silently bought an armchair closer to his bed, sitting in it and making herself comfortable with a blanket. 

At this, Sesshomaru said nothing, and as the minutes passed, Rin started to feel a weight pull at her eyelids, closing her eyes. Although there were no more than a couple of steps separating her from the bed, she felt that the distance between them was uncrossable. 

“Why do you want children?”

Rin’s eyes snapped open. This caught her by surprise, and she was unable to prevent it from showing on her face as she turned to face his prone form. She studied Sesshomaru as he was gazing at the canopy above his bed, looking for a hint of what he might be thinking, but she found none. After a few moments of silence, their eyes met, and upon seeing his guarded expression, Rin beamed at him, before he broke eye contact.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

Rin’s satisfaction with his progress was evident on her face, and with an endearing giggle she deemed to answer him, “Oh but I do.”

So she did. Rin told Sesshomaru all about her dear parents and older brothers, about the wonderful life they had in their cottage near the sea. How their days were spent playing, learning to ride horses, to write and read. How she loved dancing and panting and playing the harp and piano and what dear teachers her parents were to her and her siblings. Of course, the whole incident of their death was tactfully avoided, but she expressed her loss of them, and trailed off, unable to continue. The entire time, he had remained silent on the matter, but seeing her sudden unease, he sought to make her continue, coaxing her on,

“So, you seek a replacement for your lost family.”

It took her a minute to gather herself, but Rin eventually met his eyes once more, humbled by the concern she saw in them. “Not quite. I want to create a new one for myself, just as dear and happy as times gone by.”

“Why wasn’t the Komura family good enough?”

“My aunt was very dear to me. But by the time I joined their family a decade ago, all their sons were grown men, I could not bond with them as brothers.”

“And your uncle?”

She hesitated, but with a sour expression, Rin admitted her truth, “I only ever felt like a burden for him. A baggage that was dropped on him against his will. One that he was eager to pass on to the highest bidder.” At this, she fixed him with her accusatory stare, and the hurt in her eyes momentarily made it harder for Sesshomaru to breathe.

“Foolish notions.”

“Is that not what my presence here is for you? An unwanted baggage left on your doorstep by your father, happy to put it away in an attic and forget about it?”

“Your accusations are unfair and unfounded.”

Unconsciously the volume of her voice grew, but she could not help it, fuelled on by loneliness and suffering, “You deny it? You’re my husband yet this is the longest conversation we ever had. I rarely even see you.”

“You see me almost daily.”

“At night it doesn't count, I can barely see anything.”

Sesshomaru frowned at her, frustrated, “In the afternoon, while you play.”

Rin was outraged, “You mean when you hover.”

“It is a concession on my part, one you stubbornly decide not to acknowledge as such.”

At this, she hesitated, her rage cooling almost instantly. It was true, Sesshomaru did not have to pass by every evening while she played her music. She brought her blanket closer around her shoulder, seeking its warmth and the comfort that came with it. Lifting her eyes slowly to meet his again, Rin tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, whispering to him, sure that he could hear her just the same.

“You are right. I am sorry. I simply wish we were closer. Friends.”

Sesshomaru gave no response to this, and moved minutely in bed to get himself more comfortable, so Rin did the same in her own armchair. She fell asleep quickly, the exhaustion from the previous night catching up with her.

The next morning, Rin woke up to a knock on the door, and was surprised to open it and find Jakena informing her that breakfast was ready to be served. She had overslept, a very rare occurrence. Glancing over her shoulder, she noticed her husband was sleeping, or at least resting with his eyes closed. She couldn’t quite tell the difference. With a nod towards Jakena, the two women walked away. After choosing to have her breakfast in her room, and taking the time to refresh herself, Rin had returned to her husband's bedchamber to find him still asleep. 

Using this opportunity to wipe Sesshomaru’s face with a clean wet towel, she was pleased to notice his fever had subsided and his face had regained his usual colour. In her distraction - fascination, really - she allowed herself to lightly caress the crescent moon adorning his head. Almost immediately, the magenta stripes adorning his cheeks enchanted her into tracing their length with her fingers. She felt a little disappointed when her next target - the red stripes lining his eyes - moved before she even had a chance to touch them, but she was grateful they did, for she was greeted by eyes so gold, they were like the brightest honey - wait, his eyes. Open.

“Are you quite done?”

In her embarrassment, Rin straightened and backed away several feet from the bed, cheeks flushed, almost shrieking, “A-ah, you’re awake!”

“I have been for hours.”

Realising she had been caught taking liberties with him, Rin could no longer face her husband and she turned around, her back towards him, when she heard him speak,

“Since you are here, and I have been humiliated quite enough as it is to ask it of anyone else... I require your assistance.”

This surprised her, for Sesshomaru had not been particularly forthcoming in her care of him, but more than eager to help, she turned towards him, nodding as she took a step towards the bed once more, “Yes, of course. Anything.”

In the way that Sesshomaru looked at her, Rin could not help but recall the way that wolves would look at rabbits, right before they pounced. “This is the third day I wore these bloody, stained trousers.” 

She swallowed, he continued, “They need to be removed.”

As Rin realised the implication of the type of assistance she would need to provide, she felt her face suddenly devoid of colour, then suddenly gained too much colour. Her heart started pounding in her chest, as she suddenly found the pattern on the rug beneath her feet very fascinating. 

“My lord, I can ask someone-”

Daring a quick glance at his face, the slight curve on one side of his mouth looked suspiciously akin to a smirk, and Rin did not like it one bit, least of all his voice as he spoke to her next,

“Unnecessary. You are here, so you are to assist me.” 

Following more silence and ever-increasing redness of her face, Sesshomaru insisted in a low, teasing voice that Rin found very irritating, “You are my wife, there is no need to be so coy about it.” He continued in such a low tone that Rin could barely hear it, “Besides, it would not be the first time I would be without trousers in your company.”

Shocked at his forwardness, a small gasp left her, and Rin stopped rubbing her hands together for a moment to lift her head fully towards him. Sesshomaru was no longer suppressing his grin, and Rin was surprised at how different this man looked from the man who proposed to her in her garden just two months prior. Yet somehow, she was even more surprised and somewhat confused by the growing hotness in her face and in her belly. 

Many long moments passed before she could recompose herself, but Rin eventually cleared her throat, nodded and simply moved towards his closet, finding a clean nightshirt there. Gathering the supplies she needed to clean him - a large bowl with hot water from the bathroom, a bar of soap, a washcloth, and more towels - she slowly stepped towards the bed. Her husband looked at her with such intensity that it made her uncomfortably hot in the cheeks - and elsewhere.

Rin lowered the blanket covering Sesshomaru, and with trembling hands she slowly washed his neck, arms, chest, and stomach. Once finished, she asked him to sit up, and he did so with little help from her, allowing Rin to slip on the bed, sitting slightly behind him, repeating her cleansing actions on his back. Moving his hair to the side, Rin took this opportunity to leisurely run her hands through the silken strands, marvelling at how soft and cold it felt in her hands. She continued to play with Sesshomaru’s hair for a while, until he called her name, reminding her of her task. With a brief apology, she stood up from the bed, and brought the long nightshirt she had retrieved earlier, and he raised an eyebrow at her. Purposefully ignoring his silent question, Rin had already begun to help him put it on, and Sesshomaru found himself dressed for bed.

“And my trousers?”

“Lie down, my lord.”

With some hesitation, Sesshomaru did as he was told, and once again with trembling fingers and her heart beating wildly in her chest, Rin undid his trousers’ fastenings, then lowered his nightshirt enough to cover the top part of his legs, before slipping her hands under the fabric and pulling his trousers downwards. She managed to avoid seeing his member altogether, but its presence was very obvious in the way it stood upwards at the apex of his legs, the light fabric giving way to it. Purposefully avoiding looking towards her husband’s face, Rin continued to wash down his legs. Once the task was completed, she quickly got off the bed, pulling the blanket back on top of him. Taking her items with her, she could not help but steal a glance at his face, and wondered if that was disappointment she saw on his face.

Shaking her head, Rin tried to forget such silly thoughts, and she made her way downstairs, giving Jakena the cleaning supplies and the bloodied trousers to be cleaned. 

It was sometime after her tea that she deemed herself calm enough to return to Sesshomaru’s bedchamber and when she did, she was glad to find him asleep. Taking her usual seat in the armchair by his bed and reading the book she brought along, Rin experienced a strange sense of contentment that she did not feel ever since she had come to the house three weeks prior. 

The sense of calmness remained as Sesshomaru awoke, and he asked her about what books she liked to read. Rin was eager to share with him her favourite subjects, from the best books on foreign cultures to records of adventurers traveling in exotic, faraway locations. Occasionally he made a comment about this place or that, whether he visited it himself, or telling her more about it when her information was lacking, and Rin realised with relief that they shared a passion for exploring the unknown and a curiosity for the unusual. 

She was somewhat disheartened to leave when Jakena called her for dinner, but once she finished eating, she quickly washed up and changed for bed, rejoining her husband in his bedchamber to resume their discussions. As the evening progressed and her comfort with him grew, Rin shared with Sesshomaru more about her life with the Komura family, and the strict education she had to undergo there, from two foreign languages, to history, arithmetics, science and geography, all before she even started her finishing school. Rin confessed that she was not fond of her classes on manners, society or dancing, but she enjoyed painting and excelled at singing and playing music.

At this point, Sesshomaru hesitantly requested her to sing a song to him, and Rin was surprised by his forwardness, but sang for him nevertheless, hoping that the flush on her cheeks wasn’t too noticeable in the candlelight. 

Once she finished her song, she was surprised even more by his words,

“You may sleep here tonight. In bed, if you wish.”

Rin had no idea how to respond, but she was grateful and delighted that he would allow such a closeness between them, so she quickly stood from her armchair, and sat on the bed, blowing out the candle. Yet, as she slipped into the bed next to him, Rin wondered if perhaps Sesshomaru sought her company as a wife. It was during this moment, as she sat in his bed, her legs under the covers, that Rin realised that she would not mind it at all if he requested her to perform her wifely duties. And for the first time she would welcome it, not just for the sake of having a child, but simply to feel his body pressed closely to her own. She blushed at her thoughts. 

His next words told her that Sesshomaru must have misinterpreted her pause, “You do not need to worry. I meant it when I said sleep, nothing else.”

“Ah, of course, I did not… my apologies.”

Rin quickly laid down and made herself comfortable, commenting on how much firmer his bed was and how much softer his blankets were compared to her own. 

“Request any changes you want to your rooms to feel comfortable. This is your home now.”

It was after some minutes that, in the darkness of the night, that Rin felt comfortable enough to admit to Sesshomaru that she was in fact, very lonely and bored, Her soul was soothed by his warm tone when he whispered to her that he would try to spend more time with her. Scooting closer to him, and laying her head against his shoulder, Rin told him in her half-asleep state that she would love to listen to those talented harpists he was talking about during their first meeting.

When Rin opened her eyes the next morning, birds chirping outside the window, the first thing she saw were gold eyes staring at her. She quickly sat up in the bed, pulling at her nightgown to ensure she was decent, and brushing her fingers through her hair to make herself presentable. After muttering a good morning, Rin quickly made her way to her own bedchamber, getting ready for the day, marvelling at how fast her heart beat when seeing Sesshomaru so close to her, his breath almost on her face. 

Even after breakfast, she still struggled to calm her nerves, and a walk in the garden only partially made the hot feeling in her belly go away enough to give her the courage to see her husband. Deciding to take some grapes up to Sesshomaru’s bedchamber - Jakena had finally revealed to her that he did occasionally eat fresh fruit - Rin was still apprehensive as she made her way inside and set the fruit on the bedside table. 

Tension filling the air, they both said very little as he ate them, one grape at a time. The feeling in her belly only got worse as he watched her watching him eat, further unsettling her heart. From the cautious way that Sesshomaru was watching her, Rin wondered if perhaps he could tell that she was anxious, yet the reason escaped her.

Rin may never know what came upon her, what she was thinking, fuelled by some magnetic pull, encouraged by their growing closeness, but she before she knew it, her mouth opened and uncensored words simply spilled forth, 

“May I kiss you?”

Sesshomaru stopped mid-chew, and she saw his eyes widen in time with her own. She felt her cheeks on fire, and even her ears were hot, yet she could not look away, trying to gauge his reaction. Afraid of it.

To Rin’s relief, and her mortification, Sesshomaru slowly finished chewing then nodded at her. Worse still, he set aside his plate of grapes, and held out a hand towards her. As if under his spell, Rin stood from her chair, taking his hand, allowing him to pull her closer, very close, as she climbed on the bed and sat on her knees to his right. He let go of her hand, and instead his hand reached behind her, between her shoulder blades, pausing there for a moment, before slowly trailing down towards the small of her back, the effect electrifying. He pulled her closer still, and Rin had to put up her hands against his chest to regain some balance, some semblance of control.

Lifting a hand to his cheek, Rin took a moment to trace his stripes like she did the previous morning. Looking into his golden eyes, her determination renewed, she closed her eyes and leaned in, pressing lightly her plump lips against his own. She held there for a few moments, before pulling away, looking into his eyes again. Sesshomaru took a deep breath, then tilted his head closer to her own. Understanding his silent invitation, Rin closed her eyes once more, and leaned in, kissing him again, feeling his own lips moving to press more closely to her own. She only pulled away for a second, before she pressed once again against his lips. And then again, and again, with growing intensity, the fire ignited. Sesshomaru’s hand pulled her tightly against his chest, and encouraged by this, she moved a hand against his shoulder and the other against the back of his neck, bringing him closer, as their kisses grew hotter and more desperate. Their lips parting, tongues seeking one another, shyly at first, then hungrily.

Before Rin could even tell what was happening, she was almost sitting in Sesshomaru’s lap, and his hand was pulling at the gown caught under her knees. She opened her eyes, gasping with realisation. His face came closer, his nose against her cheeks, as he whispered “Please”. Looking into his eyes, she saw a fire the likes of which she had not seen in them before, and she felt her own urgency increase, as her hands went to his chest, then trailed lower, grasping the fabric of his nightshirt, and hesitating for a few moments, before lifting it off, leaving him completely naked. She blushed at seeing his nakedness, his manhood standing just like it did the day before, and she looked away, her courage dwindling. But then his hand was at her shoulder, down her arm, and then onto her waist, pulling her closer once more, and then pulling at the fabric of her gown gently.

Her desire renewed - she could feel it coating her lips - Rin gathered the hem of her gown and lifted it to her upper thighs, unsure of what to do next. Almost as if he could read her mind, his hand went to the small of her back, pulling her towards his lap. 

“Straddle me.”

So she did, settling firmly against his lap. Rin could feel him brushing against her, and she moved her hips lower still, eager for him. Her hands rushed to his face once more, and their kisses resumed, their hunger for each other growing more urgent. Breaking the kiss for air, Sesshomaru’s forehead came to rest against her own, brown eyes staring into golden ones. Neither of them moved other than trying to catch their breath. Then she felt it, his hand brushing, then rubbing against her breast, eagerly kneading it in his hand, and a deep sigh escaped her lips. His mouth went to her ear, and he licked right under it, sending waves of pleasure that went straight between her legs, making her rub against him with renewed vigor. 

Sesshomaru’s hand went between her legs, under her gown, finding her opening and rubbing it in that familiar motion, making Rin gasp and whimper, before he plunged two curled fingers inside of her, making her sigh and moan as she held onto his shoulders, her hips moving of their own accord against his hand. She could feel his breath quickening in the kisses he pressed against her neck, and it wasn’t long before she heard him growl and whisper her name, before she felt a wet kiss pressed against her cheek.

Understanding his need, as it was her own as well, Rin’s hand hesitantly reached between them, yet with an unprecedented forwardness, she grasped his hardness - velvety and sticky - and brought it to her folds, which she parted for him. Holding her breath and attempting to calm her racing heart, she slowly lowered herself onto it, one inch at a time, all the way down. When she was unable to go any lower, Rin felt full, a sigh left her lips, and she slumped against Sesshomaru’s shoulders, hugging them. But he gave her no respite, for he brought his hand to her hips, and pushed and pulled on them, prompting her to move. Rin quickly learned the rhythm he sought, and before long, they were both kissing and gasping and panting with such a desperate passion for each other that a giggle escaped her at the situation they found themselves in. She could not touch enough of his skin at once, her fervour for him growing as she climbed higher and higher. She reached nirvana with a loud moan, and her body clamped onto Sesshomaru. As she relaxed in its bliss, Rin finally understood why this type of intimacy was so coveted - why kings would risk their kingdoms for a woman - and she laughed softly at the happiness flowing in her chest.

But Rin had no time to rest, for Sesshomaru was still desperate to reach his own peak. Frustrated with her lack of movement, he tried to move her hips against his own in that delicious dance. Feeling in a particularly charitable mood, Rin braced herself against his shoulders, resuming their rhythm, yet increasingly faster and harder. When Sesshomaru reached his own release, she found bliss with him once again, their sighs of ecstasy drowned against each other’s mouths.

Trying to catch her breath once more, Rin rested against Sesshomaru’s shoulders. She smiled against the skin of his neck at the feeling of his hand going up and down her back in a slow, doothing motion, the feel of his breath against her hair.

Perhaps marriage was not so bad after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may or may not have seen that one coming. I hope it wasn't too bad, it is the first time I write a proper smut!
> 
> To the person who left a comment spoiling a good 3 plot points in the comments, do not be surprised that it was not approved. I will make your comment visible for everyone else once we're further on in the fanfic. :)  
> Speaking of which, this fanfic now has 12 chapters planned, by popular demand.


	6. Luxurious Window and Resentful Glares

Rin set down her book to stretch her feet, lifting her arms above her head, tensing then relaxing the sore muscles in her back. She had been sitting in the armchair by the library window since her mid-day tea, and the evening sky was beginning to turn the orange, pink and purple rays of sunset, the colours bringing a smile to her lips.

Peering around and looking further into the library, her smile faded at seeing her husband bent over the same papers since she had entered the chamber earlier that day. They did not speak much, but he kept the promise that he made in his bed, as she nursed his body back to health. Reminiscing of that day’s events made a blush slowly creep onto her cheeks, although she could not help but feel a bit disheartened that a certain event had not been repeated since then, but they did spend more time in each other’s company. Sesshomaru had given her unrestrained access to his library, and at last Rin had the opportunity to read to her heart’s content, filling her days with more books than she could possibly read. And she had plenty of time to read, her days remained largely uneventful, spending her mornings walking in the garden by herself, picking flowers, or writing letters to her aunt or old friends. High society moved on as usual, and unsurprisingly, Rin found that she did not quite miss it as much as her aunt had originally predicted. Mrs Komura still wrote very often, constantly inquiring about her health and wellbeing, but the young bride had little to complain about, especially with the growing closeness between her and her husband, so every few days when she handed her letters to the post harpy, their contents conveyed a satisfactory contentment with her new life. 

In truth, Rin was turning to books and her husband’s tranquil presence as consolation for missing her family and friends. She always read in silence in one of the chairs by the luxurious window, so it didn’t escape Sesshomaru’s notice that his wife was strongly affected by the lack of company, although he did not comment on it. In a half-successful attempt at conversation, he had commented on her choice of poetry, and Rin admitted to him that she was a hopeless romantic at heart, often indulging in poetry about love, nature and flowers, and she recounted with great humour how her uncle constantly worried she would be persuaded into eloping with some poet or another. That comment did not go down particularly well with her husband, as he simply glared and turned his gaze away, the conversation promptly ending.

Looking at him now, she noticed his gaze lifting from his desk, and meeting her own. Neither moved or looked away, and the moments passed, each second bidding Rin to flush more and more under the intense observation of her husband. Forcing herself to break eye contact, she turned and looked once more upon the setting sun, trying to ignore the rapid heartbeat in her chest. 

She was sure that Sesshomaru could hear it, and half expected him to comment on it, but his actual words caught her by surprise, “Rin, should you not be getting ready?”

Her eyes widened with realisation and Rin stood from the armchair with a gasp, glancing at the clock above the fireplace, declaring loudly as she quickly made her way to the door of the library, “Oh no! I am so sorry, it is so late already! Will we make it in time?”

“We will fly on Ah-Un instead of taking the carriage.”

“Yes, of course,” she called out as she walked through the door “I will be ready!”

As Rin left the library, she called out for Jakena as she dashed up the stairs, excitement building in her chest, and a grin blooming on her face. She was in such a flurry of movements that a few strands of her hair started to come undone from her carefully pinned bun. 

But her hair did not remain in a state of disarray for long, as within the hour, Rin’s hair was arranged into an intricately braided and curly updo, secured with a long white ribbon, trimmed with gold, which matched the gold flower trim on the sleeves and bottom hem of her white dress. With a last twirl and an approving nod from Jakena, Rin carefully made her way downstairs to the foyer, ready to leave for her first social event with her husband since their wedding two months prior.

It all came about rather naturally. Rin’s boredom - coupled with her predilection for music - ensured that every evening before supper, the sounds of her harp or the grand piano filled their home, and if she was feeling in a particularly pleasant or sorrowful mood, she would sing merry songs or melancholic melodies to pass her time. During this time of the day, Sesshomaru would come to listen to her play, and between songs he was more forthcoming than he usually was with her, sharing a fact or another about the composer, or about the instrument she was playing, commenting on her choice of songs, requesting her to play a specific song - once even paying her a compliment on playing the harp. Well, he simply commented that she played one specific song well, but Rin was more than eager to accept any praise she might receive from him. It was at that time that she remembered his comment on their first meeting that he had heard much better demon harpists, and Rin admitted that she would love to hear them at some point. The very next day, Sesshomaru had announced that he acquired tickets for the two of them to attend a concert that would feature several pieces for the harp. 

Ready to leave, excitement was buzzing through Rin’s chest as she reached the bottom of the stairs, happy to see her husband in his usual formal attire of a silken cream vest and tailcoat, with matching trousers. They were _almost_ matching, and that realisation made Rin giddy, giggling a little as she came to stand in front of her husband. 

They stood in silence, each observing the other for many long moments, before Rin felt the need to break eye contact, unable to look at his glowing golden eyes and the somewhat tender look on his face any longer, her heartbeat already losing its natural pattern.

After a moment of hesitation Sesshomaru offered her his arm, which she eagerly accepted, and as they began walking, he commented in a tone that was more relaxed than she was used to hearing from him, “You seem rather at ease for someone who has been running late, Rin.” 

Yet even as he said it, his pace was slow and measured, so Rin responded on a playful note, “I apologise, My Lord, Jakena refused to allow to leave my chamber until my hair looked perfect, or so she claims,” as they exited the house and came to stand in front of their courtyard, she dared to chance another glance at his face as she continued, “Besides, why should I be concerned when my own lord husband doesn’t seem to worry?”

His countenance gave nothing of his inner thoughts away as he replied, “You should worry, we will not arrive in time by flying on Ah-Un.”

At this, Rin looked around, noticing the missing presence of her dear scaly friend, “So how will we arrive there in time?”

The question seemed to be what Sesshomaru expected to hear, his handsome face settling into a smirk as he used his hold on Rin’s arm to gently twist her around, wrapping his arm against her lower back and pulling her to his chest. A gasp escaped Rin as her hands instinctively came to rest against his chest, wondering aloud, “My Lord, what are you doing?!” 

“Hold on.”

Without another word, Sesshomaru’s arm tightened around Rin and the next moment, they were off the ground, flying. 

When the fact registered in Rin’s mind, laughter spilled forth at the feeling of strong winds blowing against her back, and Rin wrapped her arms tight around Sesshomaru’s neck, holding onto him for dear life. Judging by the speed with which the mansion was fading away from view, and the surrounding river and forest passing by in the last rays of the sunset, Rin understood why flying with Sesshomaru would ensure they would make it in time for the concert, rather than flying on Ah-Un.

Before long, an increasing number of dwellings started to appear through the forests in the dim evening light, and eventually many houses began lining streets, roads intertwining with one another. The sight of a large town was evident now, great buildings emerging, the architectural style much similar to the human capital that Rin was used to seeing, the only noticeable difference was the bricks being coloured in various shades of white, which illuminated by the street lamps and lights inside the windows made the city appear surrounded in a glow. She was so caught up in its beauty that Rin only noticed they descended when the wind against her back ceased altogether, and she heard the sounds of a crowd around her, along with her husband’s monotone voice, “Rin.”

Blinking, Rin lifted her head off of her husband’s shoulder, pulling back slightly to look at his face, noticing his eyebrows slightly furrowed, “You can stand.”

It was a statement, yet Rin answered it nevertheless, “Yes.” causing the arm around her waist to slowly retract, and Sesshomaru took a step back, his posture straightening, and offering her arm to her once more. 

Once Rin accepted it and they turned around, she noticed her surroundings for the first time. They were next to a fountain in the middle of a large plaza, with grand buildings in neoclassical architecture surrounding them on four sides. Before the steps of the largest building was a statue of a nine-headed dragon, each of its large heads holding in front of it a mask conveying a different emotion. Captivated, Rin was about to take a step towards it, when her husband’s hold on her arm tightened minutely, prompting her to turn towards him. Following his gaze, her sight set on a wide building resembling an ancient temple, surrounded by a crowd of people - demons and humans.

Yet as they walked closer, and the crowd started to quiet down and slowly part for them, Rin realised that most of the beings surrounding them had to be demons, as even the ones she previously thought to be humans had features that did not belong on any human she knew - claws, fangs, tails, pointed ears. And they all seemed to hold great respect - or fear - for her husband, since they all bowed to the newlywed couple as they walked by, although the contempt with which they considered _her_ did not escape Rin’s notice. What surprised her even more was how perfectly at ease Rin felt among a crowd of possibly hostile demons - all because of Sesshomaru’s presence, his body warmth and powerful aura inspiring her own strength to keep on walking unperturbed, her head held high, taking slow, confident steps, alongside her husband.

At that moment, Rin realised that she trusted Sesshomaru with her life.

The lobby of the concert hall was lavishly decorated, and looked more grand than any of the palaces Rin had seen before. They were immediately noticed by an usher - a tall fox-like furry creature - who enthusiastically welcomed Sesshomaru to their humble establishment and thanked him for his patronage. Upon receiving no response other than a silent stare from the aristocratic youkai, the demon escorted them with so much pomp through the room that Rin could feel Sesshomaru stiffening by her side. The usher ignoring her existence did not bother Rin in the slightest, but as they passed more crowds through the lobby, she could feel the resentful glares and scowls being pointed at her, prompting her to wonder whether this reception was simply because she was human or if she actually did something to deserve this level of animosity. 

Once they arrived at their private gallery overlooking the auditorium, Rin was grateful for the relative privacy. 

After they made themselves comfortable in their chairs, Rin retrieved her binoculars from her purse and used it to observe the final details of the ornate decor. As she admired the embellishments on one of the galleries on the opposite side of the auditorium, Rin came to notice that a young woman with long black hair in a lavishly decorated dress was pointedly looking in their direction. The woman lowered her binoculars and briefly waved at Rin, surprising the younger woman. She was about to point it out to her husband, when she noticed the man next to the friendly stranger - her father in law. And now that Rin looked further into their gallery, she noticed her brother in law, and another beautiful young woman aggressively whispering to each other, the lady’s arms crossed as she glared at Inuyasha, who mirrored her mannerism. Rin recognised her as Kagome Higurashi, and Rin realised with newfound hope that she may have found a social circle in her new home.

Any further thoughts on the topic were promptly interrupted by the booming sound of a horn, announcing the start of the concert.

Music blossomed through the room. Its sweet petals growing, surrounding Rin in its song, the pleasant melody taking her back to her childhood, the happiest times of her life, and she was sure that if heaven existed, it was created by this very music. Rin was certain that there could be no honour greater than these heavenly sounds gracing her mortal ears, so endearing to her that her hands tightly gripped onto the edge of the balcony, her attention captivated by the magnificence within the same room as she was.

When the symphony ceased playing, Rin could still hear the music resounding around her, her heartbeat pounding in her ears, her cheeks flushed with excitement. She was brought back to her senses when she felt her husband’s hand clasping her shoulder, and with a start, Rin turned to look at him, a smile and laughter lacing her voice as she declared, “That was the most wonderful concert I have ever heard!”

With something akin to a self-satisfied smile, her husband fuelled her excitement further, “And there will be more after the interval. Let us get some refreshments.”

They were having drinks in the bar adjacent to the lobby, Rin eagerly recounting in hushed tones her favourite parts of the performance to her stoic husband, when a familiar deep voice behind her made her turn,

“I did not think we would see you here, Sesshomaru.” 

They have been approached by the impsing Lord of the West, his silver hair sparkling like diamonds in the dim candlelight, along with a tall and beautiful lady with an intricate updo, her black hair shining like onyx, who smiled gently and curtsied, prompting Rin to return the gesture, the men still as statues.

“Father.”

The patriarch of the dog demon clan turned instead to Rin, curtly nodding his head, “It is good to see you again. I trust my son treats you well.”

With her eyes still glued to the woman before her, Rin confirmed, “Very much so,” and when the pause amongst them and the noise of the crowd around the room became unbearable, the tension between the two great demons growing with each moment, she added with forced politeness, “He is too kind, really. I am extremely grateful that I had the opportunity to finally hear the famous symphony in the demon jurisdiction.”

Touga sounded surprised, perhaps too much so for it to be believable as he spoke next, “Oh? Is this your first outing to our Royal Concert Hall?”

“It is my first outing in general since crossing the border.” She admitted sheepishly, daring to steal a glance at her husband, who remained unemotional and unmoved, and Rin now noticed that his sight was set upon the human woman standing in front of Rin.

Following his gaze, Rin turned her head once more, beholding the woman who put her husband so on guard, and it was during this time that the woman spoke for the first time, her tone demure yet mature, the epitome of refined feminine elegance, “It is such a shame that Sesshomaru seeks to hide away his adorable young mate so deep in the forest, so far away from our eyes,” but her eyes quickly darted in Sesshomaru’s direction, before turning to her own husband with a lifted eyebrow, “Don’t you agree, beloved?”

“Ah, but you see Izayoi, Rin is not Sesshomaru’s mate. Just his wife.”

Izayoi’s eyes widened marginally, then slowly turned towards Sesshomaru, fixing him with her gaze, repeating almost as if in a haze, “Just his wife,” and after some time adding in an afterthought to Rin, “You must come to the town assembly, I shall ensure that you will receive an invitation.”

“Ah, yes, of course, we would be delighted to attend.” Rin added, trying her best not to sound too flustered.

The tension was palpable, and the silence almost deafening, making Rin’s heart race and her stomach constrict uncomfortable, her fingers unconsciously curling and uncurling by her side. It was _too_ silent, she realised, and upon looking around them, she noticed that the demons surrounding them had gone quiet, carefully watching the exchange between the dog demons. 

Rin’s mind was racing trying to find something to defuse the mood, when her husband did it in her stead, “Rin, we are leaving.”

They returned to the gallery I without another word being spoken between them, and Rin tried her best not to dwell on the meaning of what had just transpired. But the fates gave Rin their favour, as she did not have to distract herself for long, the concert resuming shortly after they were seated once more, and the following hour went by in what felt like mere moments. The mood had much improved during the young couple’s dinner at the restaurant next to the concert hall, and although their discussion focused solely on music, Rin loved every minute of it.

By contrast, their flight home was silent, and as they made their way up the stairs to retire for the night, Rin’s heart began to race for a different reason altogether, although she tried her best to keep her breathing even in hopes that the dim candlelight of the hallways were enough to conceal the red in her cheeks from the perceptive eyes of her husband.

There was an awkwardness between them as they stood outside of her door, and Rin wished the night would not end yet, but was unsure if the feeling was mutual. So they silently stared at each other, yet somehow managing to avoid gazing into each other’s eyes.

At last, finding the courage to breach the silence between them, she managed a “Thank you for today.” that sounded too polite even for her ears.

Sesshomaru said nothing, but he nodded in acknowledgement, his head already turned to the hallway away from her. When his silence persisted, Rin squeaked out a “Goodnight” and opened the heavy door to her room, crossed the threshold, and turned around to close it, when she saw him still standing there, looking at her with an intensity that made her skip a beat and the breath in her throat struggle for room. Repeatedly tapping a finger on the handle of the door, she hesitated, and with her eyes set on the wooden floorboards, whispered so softly that she thought he wouldn’t even hear her, “Would you like to come in?”

Once more, no answer came, and deciding that Sesshomaru failed to hear her, Rin began to close her door, but when she lifted her gaze again, she gasped at his imposing height towering over her. Rin was forced to take a step back, causing her to lose her balance, but Sesshomaru was there to catch her, wrapping his arm around her waist, drawing her petite form up against his taunt body, and before she even had a chance to register what was happening, his mouth sealed against her gasping one, plunging deeply inside. He continued, his tongue slowly working against her own, trying to coax her into answering his call, and once her mind caught up with what was happening around her, Rin’s hands tangled themselves around Sesshomaru’s neck, her tongue dancing around his. A pulsing ache was building so quickly between her thighs that she barely registered the slamming of her door, or his heavy steps as he moved further into her room, but was brought back to reality when his body pinned her own to the bed.

Their clothes fell away in a hurry, their hands desperate to feel the soft flesh underneath, but she found a brief moment of clarity to lament her dress as it was ripped apart from her body, but that thought was quickly lost as his hand grasped her breast, the claws lightly grazing against her sensitive skin. When his mouth wrapped against another nipple, Rin whimpered and shivered, and she was sure that her mind had just lost the ability to process any other thought. But then his mouth trailed lower, softly kissing and licking at her skin, causing her to close her eyes, relaxing as she relished in the feeling of his lips against the soft skin of her stomach, a sweet sigh leaving her lips. That sigh turned into a gasp as his hand clasped around her shoulder, easily turning her around on her belly, the soft fabric of the bedsheets rubbing against her wet, sensitive nipples. But Rin had no time to dwell on that sensation, as Sesshomaru’s hand was at her hip, lifting her bottom up in the air. She struggled to maintain her balance, trying to settle on her knees, just as his lips and tongue softly trailed mindless patterns on her back. When he started kissing her backside, Rin was convinced she had lost every ounce of sanity, but then his fingers were probing her, opening her, and then his mouth was there, making Rin shriek in surprise, moving away from his mouth.

He growled and turned her around once more. Rin fell on her back as her legs sprawled open and then his mouth was there again, her entire world narrowing down on the feeling of his licking, sucking and twirling at her core. When she came, she was sure she had gone to heaven, moaning loudly, desperate for breath, but then a gasp escaped her lips as she felt his cock plunge into her immediately, whimpering at being so suddenly filled so deeply, the sound muffled by his mouth sealing her own. Instinctively, she wrapped her thighs tightly around his hips, locking her legs behind him, just as Sesshomaru leaned over, molding himself against her, barely supporting himself on his arm in his desperation to get closer to her.

Despite their initial hunger, they moved slowly, languidly against each other, the feeling so intense, so tender that it brought tears to Rin’s eyes, and she revelled in those motions, that primordial dance of two beings intertwined in the heat of sex, that she no longer knew or cared if it had been a minute or an hour before they both finally tumbled down, clinging onto the other as they came together, a sweating, shuddering mess of limbs and ragged breaths, her lips brushing on his temple, his lips sucking roughly on her neck.

She was still catching her breath a while later, as she marvelled in the afterglow of what had been their most intense coupling so far, listening to the slow pitter-patter of the summer rain against the windows. Sesshomaru was resting on his side against her, his nose buried in her hair, his hand slowly caressing the length of her arm, up and down, then back again. Soothing, relaxing, lulling Rin into a slow sleep, when he whispered in a low, rumbling, content voice, “Did you enjoy it?”

Despite the indecency of what had just occurred, Rin still managed to find the shyness to blush in response, “E-enjoy it! How can you ask me that?!”

Sesshomaru’s face came closer to her face, his nose caressing her cheek, and Rin could feel his quick puffs breath against her skin as he spoke, “I meant the concert.”

“Oh…” she felt silly for a moment, but decided not to prolong her embarrassment by dwelling on it, continuing instead with a slow and thoughtful response, “Yes, it was wonderful… You were right, the harpists were divine - I never heard anything like it before. My skills are certainly nothing compared to it.”

He seemed to choose his next words carefully,“You have few years of experience. Their skills are the result of centuries of practice and dedication.”

But his words did not have the reassuring effect he expected, as Rin went quiet for a long time, and when she finally spoke again, her voice took on a distant, melancholic tone, “Yes, centuries… All I have is decades.” and said no more after that, blinking away the blurriness in her eyes, fearing that tears would make themselves known in her voice if she spoke another word. 

For his part, Sesshomaru kept quiet, listening to Rin’s heartbeat, and her breath evening out, as she slowly drifted off. Once he was sure she was deeply asleep, he carefully detangled his legs from hers and slowly stood from her bed. Before he left her chamber, he turned around, taking one last look at the peaceful face of his slumbering wife.

Just months ago, decades seemed like an eternity, now they felt like mere moments.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, here it is! I did not plan for a new chapter for this fanfic until my other one was finished, BUT it was a friend's birthday, so I deemed to give her a gift smut, so there you go! Happy birthday, Carla!  
> For everyone else, Happy Valentines!

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks go to my awesome beta reader Lou!
> 
> I thrive on reviews.


End file.
